bleachfanfictionfandomcom-20200223-history
Gotei 13 (Sigma)
| textColour = White }} The (護廷十三隊, Goteijūsantai; 13 Division Imperial Guards, 13 Court Guard Squads in the English dub, 13 Court Guard Companies in the English manga) is the primary military branch of Soul Society and the main military organization most join after leaving the academy. History While the history of the Gotei 13 remains largely unknown, the organization was founded by , who has stood at the head of the group since its inception. The first generation of the Gotei 13 consisted of Yamamoto, and 11 other captains. considers this generation to be the strongest version of the Gotei 13. According to , the original Gotei 13 were "defenders" in name only, comprising nothing less than a brutal mob of killers, but it was for this very reason they were a force to be feared. It is noted the Gotei 13 underwent dramatic changes after the extermination of the , mellowing out in the ensuing peace, having now found a sense of justice upon discovering things to protect and treasure. Organization Structure The Gotei 13 is made up of thirteen divisions, with several divisions having certain specializations. The Gotei 13 is led by the Captain-Commander, who has the statuary authority to conduct all the affairs of the Gotei 13 while deferring to the authority of the in matters involving Soul Society. As with any army, the Gotei 13 has ranks. There are 20 ranks for officers, but no ranks for non-officers. The lower the number is, the higher the rank. The ranks and their descriptions are below, from highest to lowest in terms of strength. The Gotei 13 is an organization with a merit-based hierarchy. It has disposed of the system of rank based on seniority. Abilities are the only thing used to determine one's rank. Captain's Council The captains congregate in the main hall of the First Division Headquarters to discuss important issues involving their specific divisions and matters which affect Soul Society. This council is highly formal, with the captain-commander leading its proceedings. All captains are considered equal (with the exception of the captain-commander), and determine the course of their individual division unless dictated otherwise by the captain-commander. Votes are carried out via a unanimous consensus. *The Captain-Commander (総隊長, Sōtaichō; Viz "Captain-General"; Captain-Commander, Head-Captain in the English dub) is the supreme leader of the Gotei 13. The position requires the Captain-Commander to oversee the overall operations of the Gotei 13, Onmitsukidō and Kidō Corps when the well-being of Seireitei and Soul Society is at stake. The only power the Captain-Commander answers to is the Central 46 Chambers, who elect the successor of the current Captain-Commander in the event of their death. The former holder of this title is Captain Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto of the 1st Division, who had held this post for the last 1000 years. The current Captain-Commander is . *A Captain (隊長, Taichō; lit. Unit Commander) is the leader of one of the thirteen divisions (with the special case of the Captain-Commander). Captains are generally the most respected Shinigami within the Soul Society, with the leaders of the and possibly being on equal status. With one exception, all captains are able to utilize the final stage of their Zanpakutō, and are far more powerful than even their lieutenants. Knowing Bankai gives captains an average of five-to-ten times the strength of Shinigami who are unable to perform it. They have extensively trained, if not mastered, their Bankai, allowing them to use the enormous power effectively in battle. Most captains are skilled in the use of and , and generally have extensive knowledge of Shinigami history and battle tactics. All of these factors create a vast power gap between captains and lower-ranked officers. They function as , and they determine the course, organization, tactics, and policy of their division. The power a captain has over his/her division is absolute and cannot be questioned by subordinates or the captains of the other divisions. A captain can choose to change the division specialty (which did upon becoming captain of the 12th Division). Due to captains having supreme authority in their respective division, the divisions are separate entities and not a cohesive military. In this way, they only have the right to punish the actions of their subordinates and not those of other divisions unless the division in question has no current captain or the subordinate's actions are against the laws or rules of Soul Society. The true power of Soul Society lies in the captains of the Gotei 13, as they are the leaders of its military arm. With them at full strength, Soul Society is safe and almost unbeatable. If they are broken, their strength dwindles, making them highly vulnerable. :1. Captain Proficiency Test (隊首, taishu): A test which requires the ability to perform Bankai. Nearly all Shinigami become captains using this method. At least three existing captains, including the Captain-Commander, have to witness the test. :2. 'Personal Recommendation: To have personal recommendations from at least six captains and approval from at least three of the remaining seven. :3. Trial by Combat: To defeat a captain one-on-one with at least 200 witnesses from the captain's division. This method is seen as being the exceedingly rarest and the least refined of the three. The method is commonly looked down upon by some captains as barbaric compared to the other refined methods. This method allows one to bypass having the mastery of Bankai or other possible abilities which a captain would otherwise be required to have knowledge of, for it allows no judgment from captains who would require those skills as a prerequisite to join their ranks. Though rare in other Divisions, the Eleventh Division has been set up to exclusively utilize this method, with each captain attaining their rank by killing the predecessor. :4. Lieutenants * A Lieutenant (副隊長, fukutaichō; Viz "Assistant Captain"; vice-unit commander, often translated as vice-captain) is the 2nd seated officer in a division. Lieutenants function as executive officers for their division, taking care of or supervising day-to-day operations. Along with their captains, they are not assigned to one specific squad. They generally only know the Shikai of their Zanpakutō but they are still the second strongest in their division. In the case of a division captain's death, departure, or other circumstances making him unable to perform their duties, the lieutenant acts as the "substitute captain" until another can be assigned. The authority to appoint or dismiss a lieutenant lies solely with the captain of the respective division, a privilege which was granted to them with the support of the Central 46 Chambers. Captains reserve the right to appoint multiple lieutenants at a single time, though this is rarely done due to it being both considered highly unorthodox and heavily frowned upon by the Central 46 Chambers. Though rarely exercised, any potential candidate retains the right to decline the nomination. Current Members